Cheating in Islamic Perspective

Cheating in Islamic Perspective

Being anxious to take examination is naturally sensible. However, if such anxiety causes someone to do cheating, then it is becoming nonsense.

What is cheating?

Cheating in general is understood as taking a particular note/notes to get it copied when the exam is being taken. It is also defined as copying other's without any permission. this is called as CHEATING. The act of cheating is merely done by weak person especially in his faith. He might forget that Allah keeps watching him in any circumstance.

When a student intends to do cheating, he is trying his best to get escaped from the watch of anyone in the exam room. The cheating action starts when he feels that it is safe enough for him to get his notes out of his pocket or his purse. Nevertheless, his state of pretending is no doubt causing him almost breathless.
This action was indeed similar to what The Holy Prophet SAW used to say to the nearest meaning that:

الْبِرُّ حُسْنُ الْخُلُقِ وَالْإِثْمُ مَا حَاكَ فِي نَفْسِكَ وَكَرِهْتَ أَنْ يَطَّلِعَ عَلَيْهِ النَّاسُ

'righteousness is goodness of behavior, while sin is a thing that makes you anxious and you don't like if anyone else knows' (HR. MUSLIM, 4633).

Is cheating meaningless?

If only we accept this opinion saying that cheating is something hollow and therefore assume it as tiny sin, then it is good to ponder the beauty of Ibnul Mu’taz:

خلِّ الذُّنوبَ صَغِيرَها وكَبِيرَها فَهْوَ التُّقَى
واصْنَعْ كماشٍ فَوْقَ أَرْ ضِ الشَّوْكِ يَحْذَرُ ما يَرَى
لا تَحْقِرَنَّ صغيرةً إنَّ الجِبَالَ مِنَ الحَصَى

“Leave sinful action either it is tiny or major, then it is righteous… Be a person walking on the ground where it is full of thorns, certainly he will be very careful of what he could see… never ever undermine tiny sins, for even a mountain consists of pebbles “

However, if we pay closely attention the issue of cheating, indeed in Islam cheating is horrible and absolutely a fundamental subject matter. Rasulullah SAW (peace and blessing be always upon him) in his ahadits once warned us as his ummah to the nearest meaning that:

مَنْ غَشَّنَا فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا

“Whosoever does cheating, he is not from us” (HR Muslim, No. 146).

Once Abu Bakar RA. (peace be upon him), the greatest companion of the Holy Prophet SAW said:
كُنَّا عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ أَلَا أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِأَكْبَرِ الْكَبَائِرِ ثَلَاثًا الْإِشْرَاكُ بِاللَّهِ وَعُقُوقُ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَشَهَادَةُ الزُّورِ أَوْ قَوْلُ الزُّورِ وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مُتَّكِئًا فَجَلَسَ فَمَا زَالَ يُكَرِّرُهَا حَتَّى قُلْنَا لَيْتَهُ سَكَتَ

Once upon a time we are beside the Holy Prophet of Allah SAW, the He said, Should I inform you major sins which are the prime sins? He repeats this question up to three times. “Associate Allah with any partner, disobeys parents, and swears other than Allah or telling lie” In that time, he lied down and then he sat. He repeated his words again and again until we said if only he was silent. (HR Muslim No 126).

It could be said that the act of cheating is one of the deceptive witnessing. Basically, a cheater is a person who is not able to answer the questions in the examination. Isn’t it a good result achieved through deception? That means the grades written in the transcript are therefore a deceptive achievement. Indeed he has made a deceptive witness to anyone that comes across to read his grade transcript!


Written by
Ust. Muhammad Abduh Tausikal

Translated by
Muhammad Ruslin
Member of Muslim Community
Brighton
UK